Have You Tried to Become More Emotional?

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In the past, many people have found me too logical, quiet, and reserved. I didn't smile much or betray much emotion besides tenseness or anxiety. This developed from me being just the opposite when I was a young child.

When I was 15 years old or so, I decided that being logical didn't necessarily mean I was smarter and that emotions had a role to play too. In fact, I idealized emotionality as the pinnacle of human existence because, well, I'd always been written off for being too much like a computer (in fact, someone tried to get me to laugh with a joke about me being a computer after they misheard what I said I wanted to be when I was an adult). Although when I originally went to therapy, I thought it was useless—mainly because I was too embarrassed about the whole thing—I later accepted the idea that having some insight into why I do what I do would be useful. I began ruminating over my actions, thoughts, and feelings very frequently. I became keenly aware of my emotional state and even sometimes the defense mechanisms that my mind was supposedly using to keep me from being consciously aware of why I did what I did. I have to say it's odd knowing you're denying a certain possibility because you know you don't want to know; yet you still carry on.

Anyway, I thought becoming adept at writing poetry that is thick with talk about feelings would be attractive to women (based on portrayals in the media about how women like sensitive guys). Mainly the bulk of this deciding to become more emotionally aware has to do with getting women. It still hasn't worked.

Wow this is really close to my experience

That is quite an interesting ploy. Only certain women dig poetry, though they probably are more likely to be your type. I think it's a great idea even if it just means becoming a more well-rounded and multidimensional person. No harm in that.
I think I have always been pretty in touch with my emotions.
Though I may come off as an overly rational bore a lot of times.

Yes. Being an INTJ and not so sensitive to begin with, I've had to work insanely hard at being sensitive and/or emotional, even when it's expected of me. As for me, I tend to dislike almost all poetry to begin with.

My problem is that I'm overly emotional naturally.

As a kid, I used to try to fake emotions that I wasn't feeling. Then I realized I sucked at it and was making a fool of myself. Going with the flow isn't so bad, you know. Being emotionally detached is useful, sometimes!

If people call me "too quiet," I call them "too loud." If people call me "too logical," I call them "too illogical." Sounds like an annoying thing to do, but I've learned that the cool people don't make these stupid accusations.

blimey, I don't need to be any more emotional!! I've tried to become less emotional but always failed

and what is the point of poetry? it's torture! I just get emotional overload after a few lines, it's unbearable. all poetry is vogon poetry to me!

I don't particularly try to force myself to be more emotional. But I have noticed that people find me often... what's the word... shallow? Not shallow in the sense of intellect or even a lack of emotion. But I think people have trouble finding "me" because I only tend to offer up either humor or intellect as interaction. Otherwise, the rest of me is very distant. I think this is mainly because for everything else I have no words. I know no other way to communicate it. But it's not that I don't often want to. I just can't.

I honestly don't know how emotional I am. Openly, almost not at all. I tend to deny my emotions access to my thoughts and actions, they tend to cloud them. Th eemotions that i actually feel are usually anger, confusion, and sadness. When none of those three, I'm either neutral or hyperactive. I have written poetry, and might get back into just to help me reflect on my own actions. Some of it is very journalisitc. But how to get in touch with my emotions in a venue besides the arts is beyond me. Soically, emotions throw me off completely and are instantly blocked for the most part.

It goes without saying that ADHD has more impact on my emotions than AS. I have definite anger issues, and that is partly the reason for blocking emotions a lot.

I relate to the sporting events comment, I'm only emotional when something affects me, not others. Unless their emotions effect mine, etc. Jeez, I'm so da*m ego-centric.

I vary from being almost completely unemotional to being on the verge of completely erupting from emotion. I think is is due to the fact that I do not recognize my emotions until they come to this sort of "boiling point" and I can not deal with them any longer. Needless to say, this causes a lot of problems, not only for my emotional health, but also for my physical health.

I've been working on identifying my emotions from a physical standpoint, and also based upon what others tell me. Apparently, my emotional state is more apparent to others than it is to me.

Yes I have tried. I wrote out a big plan for it one New Year's about how I would pay attention to body sensations and try to figure out if I was feeling anything and how I would use feeling words more often and pay attention to them when other people used them. My sister-in-law laughed though and said it didn't work that way so I gave up.

I have had trouble realizing it is okay to have emotions beyond a few. I have been experiencing a lot more emotions lately after getting partially out of what a friend calls "combat mode". But emotionality is not my goal in particular, it's just part of what's happening, and probably a positive part although it hurts.